Degrassi: The Next Generation
by Raheem
Summary: Raheem Mcknight moved from USA to Canada to escape the problems that plagued him. What happens when he's feeling depressed again and can't do anything about it?
1. Miracles Happen

Degrassi: The Next Generation  
  
Chapter 1: "Miracles Happen"  
  
A car pulls up to Degrassi Community Center School. An african american boy gets out of a car. A lady calls to him. "Now Raheem, please don't cause any trouble at this school. This is a good school. I went here." She says smiling. Raheem gives a fake smile and then turns away. He's dressed in black. He appears to be 16 years old and about 5ft 10 inches. "This is great. A new school. A new way to get in trouble."  
  
He walks up the steps and through the doors. Other kids start rushing past him to talk to their friends who they haven't seen since last year. He smiles at the thought of causing a little mischief amongst his peers. He walks to the office and sees a group of kids standing there talking excitedly. "I wonder who we get for homeroom this year? I hope it's Armstrong! He's so cute!"  
  
He looks at the girl with a confused look. Another girl looks at him. "Hello? Hon, do you have a problem?" Raheem rolls his eyes. "Anyway, easy hormone-girl. He's a teacher remember." The girl says smiling at her friend. She scrolls her finger down the list and shrugs. "Nope. Simpson again." A guy comes up from behind Raheem. Raheem turns to look at him and his heart skips a beat. "It could be worse." The boy says as they all turn.  
  
A korean-asian teacher walks pass them. "Oh, the pain of my existence." One boy says. The teacher turns around. "It's bane Gavin. Don't worry, I'll tell you about it in class. Grade 9 English.again." The teacher walks away with a satisfied strut. "That's right. Laugh at the big failing dummy. I failed English and now I have to take it again." Gavin says. "Spin, no one was laughing." The blonde haired girl says. Another boy comes up behind the "hormone-girl" and scrolls his finger down the list.  
  
He walks past Gavin and whispers in his ear. "I was." And then he starts laughing as he walks off. Raheem chuckles to himself and the kids from the group look at him. He immediately hushes up. "Don't listen to him. Fail English, it's okay. Now if you fail gym then we really have to talk." The blonde haired girl says as she and Gavin kiss. Raheem rolls his eyes and looks away. The group leaves and he goes to check the list and heads in the direction of Gavin and his friends.  
  
He walks into the class and sits down in the back. He puts his head down infront of the computer. A teacher walks in and greets everyone. "Welcome back to Degrassi guys. As most of you know I'm Mr. Simpson. We have a new student here with us. Would you please come up to the front.Raheem?" Raheem walks up to the front of the glass and some people start whispering and giggling and pointing at him. "Raheem is from the US and he just moved here about a month ago right?" Raheem nods. "Would you like to tell the class about you?" Raheem shrugged. " I like to act. I'm a fun person and soon you'll see me on the 10:00 news, having plummeted to my death."  
  
The class and Mr. Simpson stare at him as he goes back to sit down. "That dude has serious issues." Gavin says to the black haired boy sitting next to him and he nods. Mr. Simpson hands out locks and Raheem follows Gavin and company once more. "Ugh! I cannot have a locker in The Wasteland. I cannot live here!" the blonde-haired girl complains. "I don't want a locker here either but I'm dealing with it. So suck it up." Raheem says as he walks past. The hallway floor is covered with all kinds of disgusting junk. Just his luck! The blonde-haired girl's locker is right next to his. "Oh man." He sighs. He opens the locker and something falls out and he jumps back and a few people start laughing. The blonde-haired girl does the same thing and the same thing happens. "I think there's something living in there!" she says.  
  
Gavin opens the locker. It's a toy rat tied on a hook! "I feel sorry for you Paige." Hormone girl says. "Then switch with me Hazel! Or how about you Marco?" Paige says looking for some hope. They both say no. Raheem laughs to himself but then realizes that he can't live here either. "I can't live here. This place is disgusting!" as he says this he notices Marco in a girl like pose trying to get a piece of paper off his shoe. Raheem looks at him funny. "I cannot live here! I have to go." Paige walks off and just as Hazel is about to Gavin grabs her arm. "Haz! You're Paige's best friend right?" Hazel nods. "Then switch lockers with her! Please? It's the only thing I can give her." Gavin pleads. "You couldn't pay me to live here in The Wasteland." Hazel says a little disgusted. "Please? Our 4 month anniversary is coming up in 5 days and this is all I can get her." Gavin pleads again.  
  
"So buy her a pony." Hazel says and walks off. Gavin then walks off and shortly Marco follows. Raheem looks around him and notices something moving on the floor under what looks like a new paper and slams his locker and runs. While running he bumps into Marco and they both fall. Raheem's heart starts beating fast and he smiles. "Sorry." He says and helps up Marco. Marco and Raheem stare at each other for a bit. Gavin comes up and taps Marco on the shoulder. "You ready to go?" Marco nods and turns away quickly and walks off. Raheem looks down and walks off too.  
  
School ends pretty quickly. Raheem walks slowly out into the middle of the street and stands there. A speeding car is coming his way. "What's he doing?" a girl yells. "He's going to get hit!" a boy yells. "Get out of the street! Go! Move! The car is coming!!" boys and girls scream as Raheem stands there as the car is nearing him. Craig Manning, who was taking pictures at the time, took a picture of Raheem standing in the street. Gavin, Paige, Hazel, and Marco come outside smiling and talking and then suddenly notices everyone screaming at the boy standing in the street about to be hit by a car. "What's he doing?" Paige says a little freaked out. Raheem stands there ignoring the people screaming and telling him to get out of the way of the speeding car. He closes his eyes and listens and waits for the impact.  
  
He hears the brakes of the car and then suddenly he's thrown out the way by somebody and he's rolling along the sidewalk until he hits something and then everything goes black. People start running up towards him and the other figure that threw him out the way. It was Sean Cameron, the resident bad boy! He bum rushed Raheem out the way of the car and rolled alongside him until they hit the curb.hard. Sean's arm was bruised and he winced as Emma Nelson, his girlfriend, went to touch it. "Who is this guy?" Emma says looking at the unconscious form of Raheem a few feet away from Sean. "His name's Raheem. He's in our class." Gavin said as they heard the ambulance pull up. They emt's lifted Raheem and put him on the stretcher and put him in the ambulance and Sean got in too and they drove away.  
  
"That boy needs help." Paige said. She was looking around at everybody else and they agreed. "He said that he was going to be on the 10:00 news but it's not even 10 yet." Hazel commented and Paige nodded. "I think we should go to the hospital to try and see what his problem is. I don't think he was going to move." Gavin said. "We know that Spin. I want to know what his damage is. And if he's okay. When should we go see him? We have to tell Mr. Simpson about this!" they all ran back to school to spread the news. 


	2. Brotherly Love

Degrassi: The Next Generation  
  
Chapter 2: "Brotherly Love"  
  
Eyes watch as the heart monitor beeps slowly. Tears slowly coming down faces. Marco, Gavin, Paige, and Hazel watch Raheem in the hospital bed. He's breathing regularly and he seems to be getting better according to his records. Paige and Hazel cry silently on Marco and Gavin. Sean and Emma walk up to the window and stand alongside Paige and company. " Is he going to be okay?" Emma asked and the others nod unsurely.  
  
"The doctors haven't said anything yet." A lady says as she walks up to the kids. She extends her hand to Emma. "I'm Raheem's foster mother Linda. I don't know what's going on." Sean and the rest introduce themselves. Sean has his arm wrapped up in bandage tape now. "He tried to get himself hit by a car and he almost did until Sean saved him." Emma said. "Thank you so much for saving his life. I don't know what to say. He's been trying to kill himself due to the accident that happened a few years ago." Linda explained.  
  
"What happened?" Marco asked. Linda and the kids go sit on the benches in the hallway. "Well a few years ago he and his parents were in a car accident. They died and he survived. He's been blaming himself for what happened. Ever since then whenever he's depressed he tries to kill himself. I've stopped him a few times but I don't think that I'll be able to stop him if he's ever alone again." Linda finished. Everybody looked at each other and then looked down. A doctor came up them. "Is there a Linda here?" he asked.  
  
Linda stepped forward and the two of them walked away a few feet and started talking. Emma and friends started to talk amongst themselves. "I think this is a pretty sad story." Emma said and Paige agreed. "Maybe we should hang out with him if he comes back to school. Maybe then we could get him out of trying to kill himself because of something that happened to his parents." Paige replied and the rest agreed. "I don't understand why he thinks it's his fault that the car accident happened." Gavin said.  
  
All of a sudden a few doctors and security guards ran into Raheem's room after hearing the heart monitor beep rapidly. A man was brought out of the room and he was furious! He was kicking and punching the doctors trying to get back into Raheem's room. "Oh no! Not you again! How do you keep finding out where he is?" Linda said with her hands on her head looking frightened. The kids and Linda ran to the room and went inside. The doctor that was talking to Linda came in and checked up on Raheem. "His vital signs are fine. He's done nothing to Raheem."  
  
Everybody sighed. "I'll get him! I'll kill him! He deserves to die for what he did to our mother and father!!" the man yelled. Everybody looked confused and frightened at the window as he was carted off. "Who was that?" Hazel asked a little concerned. "That.was Raheem's brother." Linda said looking at Raheem. The kids looked shocked. "His brother? Why would he want to kill Raheem?" Sean asked. "He blames Raheem for their parents dying and since they did he's been trying to have 'justice served' by trying to hurt him."  
  
Raheem opened his eyes slowly. "Ugh.do you have to tell my family business?" he said looking at Linda. "You know that I need to let other people know who he is and why if he tries to attack you again." Linda said impatiently. Raheem sat up a little. "What you all doing here?" Raheem asked. "We came to see how you were hun." Paige said. "You didn't have to.but thanks anyway." Everybody smiled. "Is he really your brother?" Marco asked. Raheem nods. "I'm pretty sure that you guys can tell he hates me."  
  
"Are you going to be okay here?" Gavin asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It'll just be another couple of years before he gets out and tries to kill me once more." Raheem said with a dry smile. Everybody looked worriedly at Raheem who didn't even notice. "I'll be fine, seriously." Marco smiled a little. Everybody left and Raheem laid back down. "Maybe I do have friends and I don't know it yet." He thought and smiled and fell fast asleep. Linda came back in and kissed Raheem on the forehead good night.  
  
She left soon after watching him to make sure that he's safe. She caught up with the kids and started talking to them. "I'm worried about him but I'm sure he'll be okay." She said as they left the hospital. They each went their separate ways home and was left with the thought of Raheem on their minds. No one would be able to forget that Raheem would be caught in another situation in a few years time but when that time comes everybody knew that they would try as much as they can to protect him from his demented brother.  
  
A FEW WEEKS LATER.  
  
Raheem was out of the hospital and he was doing better. He would be going back to school in two days and he wanted to show everyone that he's still Raheem but he's got something to live for. In the house, in his room, he was looking in the mirror checking out his image when something caught his attention from behind. He turned around and it was his brother! "Shawn! What are you doing here? How did you get out?" Raheem bombarded him with questions as he backed up into the mirror. "Don't worry about it. You'll never find out." He said as he dove on top of Raheem and started trying to choke him. Raheem kneed him off and tried to run but Shawn grabbed his leg and he fell.  
  
Shawn yoked Raheem up and threw him through the his room door and into the hall. "You're going to pay for what you did to mom and dad!" Shawn pushed Raheem down the steps and into the living room. He pulled out a gun and pushed Raheem up on the wall and looked at him with the craziest look in his eyes. "I want you to pay for what you did to them! You took them away from us! Now we're all alone!" Shawn yelled and cried at the same time.  
  
"I had nothing to do with the accident and you know that!" Raheem yelled back as anger and fear rose in him. He balled up his fist. "Do you know what you did to me?!" Shawn yelled still pointing the gun at him. What he did to him? "What do you mean what I did to you? Do you know what you did to me?!!" Raheem yelled. Shawn stepped back a little out of fear. "You made me try to kill myself for the past 5 years! Don't you think I miss mom and dad too?! You were always selfish! You didn't want me to hang out with you and your friends! You didn't even help when I was being jumped back at our old school! You were always a spoiled little brat!" Raheem yelled bursting with rage that was inside him.  
  
Shawn laughed dementedly. "Oh please. You were the one who was always selfish! You didn't even care about me!" Shawn said advancing on him. "It wasn't my fault that mom and dad didn't buy you as many nice things that they did me. I didn't ask them to!" Shawn clicked the gun and took a shot at Raheem and missed. Raheem's heart started beating fast. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Shawn screamed. "You're going to die if it's the last thing I do!" Raheem quickly moved as another gunshot rang in the air. He ran as fast as he could to get away from his lunatic of a brother.  
  
Raheem ran back upstairs and hid inside the closet. He armed himself with his baseball bat. He heard crashes downstairs and then he heard the stairs creaking loudly and his heart went racing again. "Come out.come out.wherever you are!" Shawn said menacingly. "I know you're up here you little bastard!" Shawn yelled loud enough so Raheem could hear. The floorboards of the house were creaking as Shawn went closer to the closet. Raheem braced himself for what was about to happen. Shawn yanked the door open and Raheem swung the bat as hard as he could.  
  
The gun went flying in one direction and Shawn in the other. He fell on the floor and went after the gun. Raheem picked up the gun and pointed it at Shawn. "Go ahead. Shoot me, put me out of my misery!" Shawn said as he started crying. Raheem went to pull the trigger but stopped. He couldn't do it, no matter how much he wanted to. What good would that do? He'd be trialed for murder and possibly get a sentence. He lowered the gun and shook his head. "What good would killing my own brother do? I'm not like you. I don't want to kill family memebers just to 'finally be at peace'." Raheem said. He started to walk away downstairs.  
  
Shawn tackled him and they both rolled down the stairs. And the gun slid on the floor near the door. Shawn scrambled for the gun, picked it up, pointed it at Raheem as he got to his feet. "I said I would kill you if it's the last thing I do and I will!" Shawn cocked the gun and then it went off. Raheem had closed his eyes for a quick second and when he opened them Shawn was on the floor with a bullet in his abdomen. Raheem ran over to the phone and called 911. Shawn was dying. The guy that wanted him dead was dying. But why did he care? He finally wouldn't have to worry about being smothered in a hospital or worry about the threats.  
  
"Why do I care? Why am I helping him? He wanted me dead!" he thought. "Because you love him. Even if he doesn't love you." A voice told him. The doorbell rang and he quickly opened the door and the medics came in and tended to Shawn. An ambulance came later on and he got in with Shawn, who was on a stretcher. "Even if you don't love me anymore I'm not going to stop loving you." Raheem said to Shawn. "Why? I tried to kill you." Shawn said. "You're my brother and we're supposed to stick together." Raheem said and Shawn just stared. They arrived at the hospital and Shawn went into the emergency room. Linda arrived later on.  
  
"What's going on? Raheem are you okay?" she said in one breath hugging him. "I'm fine Linda. Shawn's not though." Raheem said watching through the window of the emergency room. "What happened to the house?" she asked. "Shawn and I were having an interesting 'talk'." Linda stared at him and then started to look through the window with him. About half an hour later a doctor came out with a report. "Don't worry about Shawn. He's doing just fine. His stomach might be in pain for a few days but that's all."  
  
Raheem sighed and Linda looked at him with concern. "You love him anyway don't you?" Raheem nodded. He quickly added, "I don't know why I do. I just do." Two police officers walk up to Linda and Raheem. "Are you Linda?" Linda nodded. "We're looking for a Shawn Mcknight? He broke out of a mental facility looking for a Raheem Mcknight. We believe that he may try to cause harm to him. Do yo know where we can find Raheem?" Raheem waved a hand infront of the cops face. "Hello? I'm standing right here. Shawn's in there." The cops tipped their hats and went in the room.  
  
Shawn was put in handcuffs and was being read his rights as Raheem and Linda were walking away. Raheem stopped and went back and hugged Shawn. "I'll see you later." He said as Shawn nodded with a smile. Raheem went back to Linda. "Let's go home. We've got some cleaning to do!" Linda said as Raheem sighed. He looked back at Shawn again and then smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks. Finally it was over. Finally he could sleep again knowing that Shawn wasn't going to hurt him anymore. Thoughts of Shawn flew through his mind. Talk about brotherly love. 


	3. U Got The Look

Degrassi: The Next Generation  
  
Chapter 3: U Got The Look  
  
A yellow school bus, with the Degrassi panther sign on it, pulled up. Kids were yelling and screaming and laughing and smiling at what apparently was a victory from a soccer game. Paige, Gavin, and Manny got off the bus smiling. "We totally kicked butt! Did you see their faces when Sully made that shot? It was hilarious." Gavin said. He and other soccer players were covered in dirt and mud. Sully jogged past them to catch up to his friends and talk.  
  
Manny went after him. "Sully.I.I just wanted to say that you.you were great out there." She said apparently nervous. "Thanks. I gotta go!" he said and went to his friends. Raheem walked up to them wearing black again. "Hun, I thought you didn't want to wear black again." Paige said with a smirk. "I don't. Black is like my entire wardrobe." Raheem said a little down. A few girls walked past him giggling and pointing. "There he is! Do you see what he's wearing? As if almost dying would make him stop doing the dressed in black thing." A girl whispered to her friend. "Hey goth boy!" a boy said loudly as others turned to look.  
  
"Hey freak! What's on your agenda today? Jumping off the school roof?" another guy said laughing and making others laugh in the process. Raheem looked down and then shrugged. "Somebody's got a crush!" Gavin said smiling as Raheem cheered up a bit. "Is it that obvious?" Manny said smiling. "Sully? I don't think so, hun. Let's just say he's not your type. But I know ten guys you would look so adorable with!" Paige said in a sing-songy voice. "Adorable? I don't want to be adorable! Bunnies and puppies are adorable." Manny said frustrated. "And I don't want to be 'goth'. I just dressed that way when I was depressed but I'm not anymore. What do I have to do to make these people see that I mean business?" Raheem said also frustrated.  
  
"Manny, if you don't want to look cute then change your image. You too Raheem. If you want people to see you as a regular kid again then don't do the 'woe is me' routine. Just be the opposite, okay?" Paige said as she and Gavin walked off to the school. Manny and Raheem looked at each other and then down. "I gotta go home." Raheem said and Manny nodded. When he was at home Raheem called to Linda. "Linda? I'm home." He said as he walked into the kitchen. "Hey sweetie. How was school?" she asked. "It was fine until." he trailed off. "Until what? Did something happen at school?" Linda asked worried as she looked up from cutting up carrots. "No! It's just that my day was fine until I realized that I needed some new clothes. The black is not doing it for me anymore. I want people to know that I'm alive."  
  
"When would you like to go shopping?" Linda asked as she continued chopping up carrots. "Umm.how about today? I would love to get rid of these depressing outfits." Raheem said with a smile. Linda got her keys and before you know it they were off to the mall. The rest of the day went by really quick. Before you know it morning came. Raheem was looking in the mirror. His goth look had been completely changed. He smiled at his reflection and thought "This will prove to those people that I'm not interested in dying anymore. I want to live a normal life and I will."  
  
Outside walking up to the school Manny was wearing a big coat and with a scrunchy tying her hair into a ponytail. She was talking to Emma. More like Emma was talking her into the ground about a new organization club about saving the rainforests. "This year my goal is to make everyone be aware about the rainforests. If people would just listen me then I wouldn't have to talk and talk and talk." Manny decided to cut her off before she bored her to death again. "You want to know what my goal is? I don't want to be adorable. I don't want to be cute. I want to be hot." She said as she unzipped the big coat to reveal a blue mini-top and matching pants. She pulled the scrunchy out of her hair and shook it making it longer. "Wow." Emma said with a smile. "This year I am not going to be dumped for being one year younger. I'm going to dress older." She said as they started to quicken up their pace.  
  
JT was skating on his skateboard and then he saw her.Manny Santos. He saw her through the fence and was in awe. She looked to her left and saw him staring at her. She smiled a big smile and looked at him for awhile. She turned her head to continue the walk to school. JT tried to quicken his pace to catch more glances at her when he bumped into a car and fell. Manny and Emma walked past him laughing. A familiar car pulled up and Raheem sat in the front. "You sure you want to do this?" Linda asked and Raheem nodded. "This is how I'm going to get people to take me seriously." He got out the car and lot's people started staring. Girls and guys waved.  
  
"It must be the outfit." Raheem thought. He was wearing dark blue male lowrider jeans with a semi-small blue 'Sean John' t-shirt. He was wearing sunglasses too. And to top it all off he was wearing black 'New Balance' sneakers. Most girls were smiling at him. A few guys even complemented him on his outfit. "Nice duds." One guy says as he walk past Raheem. "You look hot." A girl said as she smacked his butt and walked off. "You look.wow." A guy said as Raheem walked past and titled his head to the side to check out his rear. Raheem walked into the classroom and everyone was whispering. He sat down in front of Paige. "You did a good job Raheem. I'm impressed." She said as they gave high fives.  
  
As the day wore on Raheem was getting compliments from almost everyone, even the teachers! Raheem smiled at all the attention he was getting. "This is more like it. No more trouble from other students about my depression phase." He thought to himself. He walked past a classroom but then doubled back because of what he saw. "Manny.wow. You sure didn't waste anytime." He said. He saw her talking to JT and knew exactly what JT was doing. He was flirting with her! Raheem smiled and continued on his way. After school he went to the mall again to buy some more 'hot' outfits with Linda. He saw Manny and Emma and went to talk.  
  
"Hey Emma and Manny. What do you think?" Emma looked in awe at Raheem. "Nice outfit tiger." Manny said with a smile. Raheem then congradulated her on hers. "So.I saw you and JT getting your flirt on." Raheem said. "He's cute, way cuter than last year." Emma and Raheem looked at each other and smiled. "You like him!!!" they yelled as Manny blushed. "No.he's cute and all but he's still just JT. At least I know that my new look is working. But I feel that it's just tamed or cute." Manny said as they headed over to the underwear section for men and women. Raheem went off to one rack and came back quickly holding something.  
  
"How about this?" he and Manny said at the same time holding thongs up. "A thong?" Emma said picking up one herself. "Whaddya think?" Manny asked. "Asi Asi, mi amore." Raheem said. Emma put the thong back and took Manny's. "I don't think they should sell these in a mall." Manny snatched her thong back. "Why not? It's not harming anyone." Raheem said. "Yeah. It's perfect." Manny said. After buying their items Raheem met up with Linda and went home. "Did you find what you wanted?" Raheem smiled. "Oh yeah."  
  
The next morning came just as quick as the day before. Raheem met up with Manny and they walked down the halls together. People were moving out the way and saying 'wows' as they passed them. Raheem and Manny were both wearing visible thongs and low riders so that everyone could see. JT was talking with his best friend Toby. "What's wrong with me?" JT asked. "Nothings wrong with you JT. Last year it was hot older women and now it's hot younger women." Toby answered. "You're right. So what if I like her? It's not like she's becoming a total different person." JT said slowly as he and Toby turned the corner and saw Raheem and Manny walking towards them wearing their 'hot' outfits.  
  
"Hey boys." Raheem said as he and Manny walked past them. JT and Toby walked but stared just like everybody else who saw them. Unfortunately for JT he didn't see the pole in between the double metal doors and walked straight into it. In class the people once again whispered as Raheem came to sit down. Paige looked at Raheem and then at Marco and Gavin. "Raheem.hun, do you realize you're wearing a thong?" Paige questioned him. "Yeah? So what? I want people to take me seriously and they are starting to." Raheem answered. "You realize that you are violating the code of conduct about the dresscode don't you?" Paige continued. "So what? I'm not doing anything." Raheem said annoyed. "What if someone tells Raditch? You could get into a lot of trouble."  
  
Raheem stared at Paige.hard. "What's with you? First you tell me to change my image if I want people to take me seriously and now you're telling me to stop." Raheem said as he turned around in a huff. Outside during lunch time Emma and Manny were passing out pamphlets for Emma's little environmental club. "Can I help?" Raheem said as he began to pass out pamphlets too. "Normally I wouldn't encourage you guys to wear the outfits you're wearing but people are actually taking the pamphlets and they're coming to the meeting! And apparently JT agrees."  
  
JT was staring at Manny's outfit and at Manny. "Just go talk to her man. Don't make a fool of yourself. Just go!" Toby said as he pushed JT off to talk to Manny across the street. "Look he's coming over to ask you on a date." Emma said as she and Raheem smiled. "Who's going to ask Manny on a date?" Liberty asked coming over. "Not you too." She added after seeing Raheem. "JT." Emma and Raheem say in unison. Liberty looked a little hurt. "I didn't know you liked JT." She said. "I might." Manny said with a smile as JT walked over. "We've got a meeting! Bye!" Emma said.  
  
She pulled Liberty and Raheem off to the meeting in the library. Upon going to the library boys and girls were coming up to Raheem to take the pamphlets. "Are you going to be there?" a girl asks. "My friend here, Emma, is doing it so I'm going to support her." Raheem answers. "He's so sweet. He's trying to help out the less fortunate people." A girl says as she walks away. "But you'll be there right?" a guy still questions. "Yeah. I told you I'm going to support my friend Emma." Raheem answered again. "Great."  
  
JT comes over to talk to Manny. "So I guess I must have interrupted a talk on endangered platypuses." He jokes. "Something a little more serious." Manny laughs. "What can be more important than platypuses who can lay eggs?" he jokes again. "You tell me." Manny said as she smiled. Sully walks past but then doubles back when he sees Manny's outfit. "Manny." Manny turns quickly and smiles. "Hey Sully." Sully takes a pamphlet. "This thing. Are you going to be there?" he asks. "Well my..my friend organized this..so..so yeah." She says nervously. "I'm there."  
  
At the meeting while Emma was talking all the guys and girls were talking to Raheem and Manny. They looked at each other and smiled. "Guys could you pay attention please?" Raheem said sweetly and some guys and girls started to listen to Emma talk. JT, Sully, and Toby enter the room. JT and Toby go sit by a nearby bookshelf and JT just stares at Manny and smiles. Sully goes over by the glass window where Manny and Raheem are sitting by a crowd of people. "Manny. So what's that short for?" Sully asks hitting on Manny. "It's short for Manuella actually." She answered. "Cool." Sully says as they semi pay attention to what Emma is talking about.  
  
After the meeting is over Emma goes to take down the signs about the meeting and Sean shows up and kisses her on the cheek. "I'm sorry I'm late. The teacher held me back to help clean the class. You know that I have grade 10 shop." Sean explains as he helps her take down the sign on the main board. "You're like the only guy in school that didn't come." Emma said. "Should I be jealous? At least they came." Emma smirks. "But they didn't come for the meeting." Sean looks at her confused. "Why did they come then?"  
  
Manny and Raheem show up. "Hey Sean." Raheem and Manny say happily. Sean does a double take. He stares at their outfits and shakes his head. "I'm going to go take down the other signs. Bye Emma." Sean says as he walks away. "So how's it going with JT?" Emma asks. "What do you think of Manuella?" Manny says suddenly in her day dream. "Sully thinks it's exotic. Manuella Santos." She says in a spanish voice. "This girl needs help." Raheem whispers to Emma on the side and she agrees.  
  
Mr. Raditch walks by looking through windows and then stops by Raheem and Manny. "Ms. Santos and Mr. Mcknight, just what are you wearing?" Mr. Raditch asks. "What are you talking about?" Raheem says. "What you are wearing is in violation of the code of conduct's dress code." Mr. Raditch says accusingly. "But everybody wears crop tops." Manny says. "It's not the shirt." Raheem looks at himself. "Are you talking about my shirt?" Raheem says annoyed. "No. What you are wearing is in violation of the code of conduct's dress code." Mr. Raditch repeats.  
  
"But everybody wears low riders. It's new fashion." Manny says. "Yeah, that's what our generation wears today." Raheem adds. "I've been getting complaints about your attire. So tomorrow I would like you both to come to school with no visible undergarments." Mr. Raditch says and leaves. Raheem and Manny lean against the wall disappointed. "Ugh..is that really necessary? Why would he come up to us and say something about it now? I wonder who told." Raheem says annoyed.  
  
The next morning Raheem and Manny were at their lockers a litte upset. "We heard about what Raditch did and we'd like you to know that you are an inspiration to us all." Paige says trying to cheer Raheem up. Raheem closes his locker to reveal a belly t-shirt with a navel piercing and another pair of low riders. At her locker Manny is going through the same thing with Emma. "I know you're upset that Raditch busted you about the thong and I'd like you to know that I'm sorry." Emma says with a hint of cheerfulness in her voice. Manny takes off her coat to reveal a pink little jacket with a belly t-shirt and lowriders. "Are you insane?" Emma says. "Mr. Raditch said." Emma started.  
  
"Mr. Raditch said no visible undergarments. And do you see any?" Manny says in an adult like sarcastic tone. "No." Emma replies. "That's because I'm not wearing any." Manny says as she heads to class. Raheem has a similar conversation with Paige. "Hun, are you nuts? What if Raditch." Paige started but Raheem cut her off quickly. "Raditch said he didn't want me or Manny to have our underwear showing and do you see my underwear showing?" Raheem says annoyed. Paige shakes her head. "I'm gonna let you in on a secret.I'm not wearing any." Raheem says and he rushes off to class.  
  
In class Manny goes up to feed the frogs but she drops the frog bait and bends down to pick it up. Everybody goes to look to see if they're going to see her butt crack but JT goes up to the front. "How come Manny gets to feed the frogs and I don't." Ms. Hotzilakos looks at him strangely. "Because you didn't volunteer." She says. "Well I wanna do it." JT says quickly. Manny goes to sit down. After class at her locker Manny goes looking for things when JT comes up to her. "Manny I was wondering if you were free tomorrow. Maybe we could go see a movie?" he said. Sully stands behing Manny. "You see this hand? Bye bye." He says and turns around. "Actually JT I am busy tomorrow. I'm sorry."  
  
JT looks at Manny heartbroken and then leaves. Emma comes up to her. "What do you think you're doing?" Emma scolds Manny. "Nothing. I didn't do anything wrong." Emma sighs. "Except break JT's heart." Manny stares at her. "I'm always there for you Emma. When you fight with Sean, when your mom gets pregnant, and at your stupid environmental clubs." Emma stares back at her. "They're not stupid. And you dress like an idiot. The way you're acting is horrible." Emma retorts. "It sounds like you're jealous." Manny says. "We're not having this discussion." Emma says and walks off. "This is who I am now Em. If you don't like it then don't talk to me." Manny says to Emma as she is leaving.  
  
Raheem stares at the scene that just happened. He goes to his locker realizing what this is all doing to him and Manny. "What are we doing?" Raheem says. "I don't know." Paige says walking up. "But if you want to keep dressing like that then you're going to have problems." Paige says and walks off. Raheem slides down on the dirty floor and silently cries. Outside in the 'Dot Grill' Manny waits and then Sully brings to cups of cappucino over to the table. "Manuella? Is something wrong?" he asks. "No, everythings fine. Everythings perfect." Manny says but when she looks out the window she sees Raheem, Manny, and JT walking. They each look at her with disappointment on their faces. All this trouble just to be something you're not. What a life to live. 


	4. The Link Part One

Degrassi: The Next Generation  
  
Chapter 4: "The Link- Part One"  
  
School is going 'great' so far. According to others Raheem is one of the strangest people that they have seen in Degrassi Community School. Raheem walks down the hallway and people whisper. "That's Raheem. He's weird." A girl says giggling to a new girl. The new girl looks at Raheem and they make eye contact. A light flashes infront of them both. Raheem shakes his head and the new girl does the same thing. "What was that?" Raheem thought as he continued to stare at the new girl. "Hey, what's up?" Emma says.  
  
Raheem turns around to talk to Emma. "What's up with you and Manny?" Raheem says smiling as they walk. Emma sighs and replies "We're still not talking. Even though we knew each other for awhile I can't believe that she would actually do something like this." Raheem shrugs. "I thought I could make people take me seriously dressing like I had no sense. I know that was wrong."  
  
"At least you had sense enough to stop. She still doesn't get it. At first it was okay. But after Raditch busted you guys about your outfits she completely lost it." Emma says as she and Raheem part to separate classes. "So did I." Raheem says under his breath as he goes into class. He sits down at his computer in the Media Immersion Lab and he sees the new girl talking to Mr. Simpson. Everybody's heard about Mr. Simpson having cancer and try to make things easier on him by actually listening instead of talking.  
  
Raheem carefully observes the new girl. She has blue eyes and black hair with red tips. "She dresses like Ellie." Raheem thinks to himself. The new girl looks at him strangely. "Did she hear me or something?" Raheem says a bit paranoid. The new girl continues to stare at Raheem. Mr. Simpson brings the class to attention and introduces the new girl. "Class? This is Adrean Carson. She's moved here from California. She's in grade 9 but she'll be taking a few grade 10 classes with you guys. Why don't you sit next to Raheem." Adrean goes and sits next Raheem and stares at him.  
  
Raheem moves a little to his right. "She's creeping me out. Why does she keep staring at me?" Raheem thinks. "I heard that." A voice says in his head. Raheem looks at Adrean but she's already working on the computer. "You don't know a thing about me so why are you judging me?" the voice says. "Adrean?" Raheem says and Adrean looks at him. "What?" she asks rather rudely. "Are you talking to me?" Raheem asks, his voice in a whisper. "I could be." Adrean says. The bell rings and Raheem hurries out of the class.  
  
"What's going on? How come I can hear her in my head?" Raheem thinks as he throws water on his face in the bathroom. "I want you to." The voice says again. "What do you want?" Raheem asks out loud. "Nothing." A boy says coming out one of the stalls. "I wasn't talking to you I was talking to Adrean. She's in my head." Raheem says throwing water on his face again. The boy looks at Raheem with a strange face. "Okay.I'm gonna go now." The boy says as he hurries out the bathroom. "You shouldn't tell people about a voice being in your head." The voice says again. "Why not?" Raheem says staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.  
  
"Because then people will think you're crazy." The voice says adding a creepy laugh that echoes in his head. "What do you want from me?!" Raheem yells. He looks at his face and realizes something. "I'm going crazy. People can't talk to other people in their minds." Raheem says as he walks out the bathroom. People are staring at him when he comes out the bathroom. He looks at them strangely and they continue to walk about the hallway. "He's crazy." A girl says to her friend as they look at him. Other people were whispering too. He turns a corner and bumps into Adrean.  
  
He stares at her. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." She says with a smile. Raheem backs up and runs back the other way. "You shouldn't run from me. You don't really think you can hide do you?" the voice says. Raheem stops dead in his tracks and turns around and sees Adrean down the hallway staring at him. "What do you want from me? You keep bothering me like I did something bad to you." Raheem thinks. "Sorry for intruding but it's not easy for me to make friends." Adrean says in her mind.  
  
"You won't make any friends if you keep on making everyone think they're crazy." Raheem says staring at her. "I know but I can't help it." She replies with a smile. They walk up to each other and start walking to class. "But if you want a friend then I'm the guy for the job." He says as they walk go into class.  
  
A FEW WEEKS LATER  
  
Raheem and Adrean are the best of friends. Adrean seems like a nice person to hang out with. At school Raheem and Adrean are recommended for cutest couple even though they don't date. "So what are you going to do this weekend?" Raheem asked. Adrean shrugged. "No idea. But you can come over if you want. You can keep me company." Raheem nods. "It's a date." Raheem says as he and Adrean start laughing. As they turn the corner Adrean drops her books and they both stare down the hallway.  
  
Pictures of Adrean in what looks like a mental facility are up everywhere. Raheem walks up to one of the pictures posted on the wall and reads what's under it. "She believes she's psychic so if you want a reading just call on "Adrean Carson: Resident Psychic!" Raheem reads aloud to himself. He turns around and Adrean is there crying. People in the hallway are once again talking about Raheem and Adrean. "I heard she was in a mental facility for 3 years because she believes she saw ghosts." A guy says to his friend. Adrean backs up against a locker.  
  
She holds her hands to her head as if trying to block out some type of noise. Raheem and everybody else in the school dropped down on the floor writhing in pain. An ear piercing scream was ringing loudly through their ears only no one was actually screaming. Adrean looked at Raheem and the others writhing in pain and ran. The whole school seemed to began hearing this scream. Raheem got up slowly and ran after Adrean. She ran into an empty classroom and the door slammed shut behind her. Raheem looked through the window and chairs flew at the windows.  
  
People in the hallway were stopping in their tracks to see what was going on in the classroom. Mr. Raditch came and knocked on the door. "Ms. Carson unlike this door right now!" he demanded. "Go away! NOW!!" came an unfriendly voice in everyone's mind. As if on time everybody near the classroom flew back. "Adrean! Please stop!" Raheem said struggling to get to the door. "I said get back now!" the unfriendly voice shouted in their minds. Raheem got to the door and pulled on it frantically. "You've gotta stop this now! I'm not leaving!" Raheem yelled over the noise. The door flew open and everybody flew back..again. Raheem got up and walked slowly to the door. Something pulled Raheem inside and slammed the door shut. The glass of the windows shattered.  
  
To be continued. 


End file.
